The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has just released new motor vehicle sales for the month of September, which registered a 0.1% seasonally adjusted fall over the month and a 3.5% decrease over the year (see next table).
As shown above, sales fell in four states and territories and rose in four.
Overall car sales remain in a weakening long-term uptrend, but a short-term downtrend (see next chart).
Sales growth is being driven almost entirely by Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs (4WDs), which rose 2.3% over the year. By contrast, annual sales growth was negative for both passenger motor vehicles (-5.2%) and other vehicles (-7.0%).
New car sales have also begun to trend lower across all mainland states, with the downtrend most advanced in Queensland and Western Australia (see next chart).
